The birth of clinical informatics can be traced back as far as 1857 when nursing pioneer
Florence Nightingale compiled and processed data to improve patient outcomes and
advocate for appropriate nursing protocols.
The growing complexity of technology, equipment and devices involved in patient care
delivery can be staggering and overwhelming. Technology is intended to be a tool to
help clinicians, but if not thoughtfully planned and strategically aligned, it can be more
of a hindrance.
After polling Texas Children’s nurses about how they would improve existing practices,
more than 700 nurses responded that the technology needed to better reflect its users’
needs. To that end, a technology and innovation team comprised of frontline nurses and
nurse leaders from various departments was formed to determine what areas needed
enhanced technology and how clinicians could have more input when technology
was chosen.
In 2013, Texas Children’s established the Clinical Informatics Department under the
leadership of Jennifer Sanders, MSN, RN. Creating this department required the
teamwork and collaboration of colleagues within the hospital and across the country.
“Clinical informatics is something I’m very passionate about,” Sanders said.
“One of the ways we can improve our patients’ experiences and outcomes
is by improving the way clinicians use technology to serve them.”
One of the projects that Sanders’ team implemented is a state-of-the-art nurse call system
that includes “dynamic smart panels.” The Clinical Informatics Department partnered with
operational leaders throughout the organization, the BioMed and Information Services
departments and a vendor to develop seamless clinical workflows to maximize this new
technology and, ultimately, improve patient care delivery and outcomes. With the panels
now in place in each patient room, a caregiver uses a single press of the button to call for
a specific emergency response team. This notifies the appropriate team immediately via
pager and mobile phone, improving patient care delivery.
